A bus in Reykjavík. |
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| Founded | 1 July 2001 |
|---|---|
| Locale | Iceland |
| Service area | Greater Reykjavík Area |
| Service type | Bus transport network |
| Routes | 28 |
| Fleet | 75 |
| Fuel type | Diesel, natural gas |
| Web site | www.strætó.is www.straeto.is/english |
Strætó bs (Icelandic pronunciation: [ˈstraːitou]) is a public transport company which operates city buses in the Icelandic capital, Reykjavík and surrounding satellite towns and suburbs. The buses are bright yellow and are commonly called 'Strætó' by the locals. It is a shortened nickname for "strætisvagn", "street carriage". Strætó bs started operations on 1 July 2001 with the merger of SVR (Strætisvagnar Reykjavíkur) and AV (Almenningsvagnar). SVR previously operated in Reykjavík and nearby satellites in the northern part of the Capital region while AV covered the southern part of the area. Strætó bs is owned and run by the seven municipalities in the Capital area, i.e. Reykjavík, Kópavogur, Hafnarfjörður, Garðabær, Mosfellsbær, Seltjarnarnes and Álftanes.
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Most buses run at about 15-minute intervals (30-minute intervals during evenings and weekends). There are 28 routes, 6 of which are trunk routes (red-routes 1-6) that run between the main terminal at Hlemmur and the various residential neighbourhoods on the city's outskirts; these use the main traffic arteries and are thus the fastest routes available. Nine of the routes are general routes (green-routes 11-19) that also stop at Hlemmur terminal but go deeper into the different neighborhoods on slower streets. The remaining 13 routes are neighborhood routes (blue-routes 21-24, 26-28 and 33-36) that run within or between the suburbs and do not stop in downtown Reykjavík.
The buses operate from 9 terminals in the Capital area. The main ones are Hlemmur and Lækjartorg in downtown Reykjavik; the others are at Hamraborg in Kópavogur, Fjörður in Hafnarfjörður, Ásgarður in Garðabær, Ártún, Mjódd, Spöngin in Reykjavík and Háholt in Mosfellsbær. All of these main bus terminals are served by at least one red (trunk) route, with the exception of Háholt that is served by green and blue routes only.
| Line number | Route Type | Route | Running Interval (Weekdays) | Serving Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Red | Hlemmur - Hafnarfjörður | 15 min | Mo to Su |
| 2 | Red | Hlemmur - Salahverfi | 15/30 min | Mo to Fr |
| 3 | Red | Hlemmur - Kringlan - Fell | 15/30 min | Mo to Su |
| 4 | Red | Hlemmur - Hamraborg - Fell | 15/30 min | Mo to Su |
| 5 | Red | Hlemmur - Norðlingaholt | 30 min | Mo to Su |
| 6 | Red | Hlemmur - Spöngin - Barðastaðir | 15 min | Mo to Su |
| 11 | Green | Mjódd - Hlemmur - Nes | 15/30 min | Mo to Su |
| 12 | Green | Skerjafjörður - Hlemmur - Ártún | 15/30 min | Mo to Su |
| 13 | Green | Sléttuvegur - Hlemmur - Eiðistorg | 30 min | Mo to Su |
| 14 | Green | Grandi - Hlemmur - Verzló | 15/30 min | Mo to Su |
| 15 | Green | Vesturbær - Hlemmur - Mosfellsbær | 15/30 min | Mo to Su |
| 16 | Green | Nauthóll - Hlemmur | 30 min | Mo to Sa |
| 17 | Green | Hlemmur - Fell | 30 min | Mo to Sa |
| 18 | Green | Grafarholt - Hlemmur | 30 min | Mo to Su |
| 19 | Green | Nauthóll - Hlemmur - Norðlingaholt | 30 min | Mo to Su |
| 21 | Blue | Fjörður - IKEA | 30/60 min | Mo to Sa |
| 22 | Blue | Fjörður - Hraun | 30/60 min | Mo to Su |
| 23 | Blue | Ásgarður - Álftanes - Ás. - Vífilsstaðir | 60 min (at peak) | Mo to Fr |
| 24 | Blue | Spöngin - Mjódd - Garðabær | 30 min | Mo to Su |
| 26 | Blue | Spöngin - Árbær | 60 min | Mo to Fr |
| 27 | Blue | Háholt - Laxnes | 5 times a day | Mo to Su |
| 28 | Blue | Hamraborg - Vatnsendi - Mjódd | 30 min | Mo to Su |
| 33 | Blue | Fjörður Vesturbær | 30/60 min | Mo to Su |
| 34 | Blue | Fjörður Austurbær | 30/60 min | Mo to Su |
| 35 | Blue | Hamraborg Vesturbær | 30/60 min | Mo to Su |
| 36 | Blue | Hamraborg Austurbær | 30/60 min | Mo to Su |
Notes:
The basic fare for a single ride currently is ISK 350 for adults but discounts are available for children, senior citizens and disabled people. Students in secondary schools or universities can buy a 9-month card with 50% discount. Prepaid cards that allow unlimited rides for a set period of time are also available, such as the green card which is valid for 1 month and costs ISK 5600.
On 23 July 2005, a new route network was instituted to replace the previous network, which had been used practically unchanged for decades. New routes had been added in new-developing areas, but the core routes were largely untouched until 2005. Planning for the revised network began in 2001. Its greatest change was introduction of the 'trunk routes' and their increased frequency during peak hours. Unfortunately, the introduction of the new network caused a great deal of controversy and confusion as people (especially senior citizens, who make up a large percentage of those who actually use the service) had gotten used to the old routes. Additionally, some smaller neighbourhoods were entirely cut out of the routes, resulting in long walks to the nearest bus station. The controversy seems to have died down, and in fact complaints have arisen every time the system has been changed in the past.
On 5 March 2006, some refinements were made to the network in response to comments from users and drivers after the 2005 revision. The greatest change was the addition of 3 routes to better cover some neighborhoods and increase interlinking between areas.
In 2010, a new green line 16 was added to provide a bus at every 15 minutes between Hlemmur and Nauthóll. Also, the course of route 18 was changed, it now terminates at Grafarholt instead of going through to Spöngin. Transportation service is provided by the new blue line 26 by connecting Spöngin and Hraunsás. For both lines, a new stop 'Mímisbrunnur v/Úlfarsbraut' was added. In late summer, there were other changes: Lines 31/32 that used to go through the area around Spöngin (terminus of Route 6) were cancelled. Instead of theses two circular routes, line 6 now goes through Borgir, Víkur and Barðastaðir and back to Spöngin for a increased frequency in Borgir, Víkur and Barðastaðir but cutting Hamrar and Rimar from the network. During weekends and late evenings, buses drive from Barðastaðir down to Grafarholt where they serve the new extended Grafarholt area and then head back to Barðastaðir and Spöngin. Also, the route of line 22 was changed for the evenings: It now runs via Álfaskleið instead of serving Skútuhraun/Slökkviðstöð back to Fjörður terminal so a hourly service in central Hafnarfjörður can be provided.